Containers



CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 8, 1956 E a q n a auallbnrnllnlllalolo o l l l n allineano ,eyacular wlvflllldullclv l l l u I i nl sauanaaaeofv 00ans louve INVENTOR naw/9M A'. HEP/Wal,

ATToRNEiS Sept. 26, 1961 w. A. HERPlcH 3,001,662

CONTAINERS Filed oct. 8, 195e 2 sheets-sheet 2 'llllllll INVENTOR pwd/HM A. f/f/P/Qff,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,001,662 CONTAINERS William A. Herpich, Knoxville, Tenn., assignor to Dempster Brothers, Inc., Knoxville, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Filed Oct. 8, 1956, Ser. No. 614,759 1 Claim. (Cl. Z20-1.5)

This invention relates to improvements in containers of the character adapted for receiving materials and to be connected with hoisting means for transport thereby.

A container, for example, of the cargo type, is adapted to receive material, articles or other cargo and to be transported on various types of hoisting and transporting units. For example, such a container may be lifted and transported on equipment of the type set forth in the patent to George R. Dempster, No. 2,437,806, granted March 16, 1948. It may also be loaded onto a railway car and shipped long distances while enclosing the articles, device or other lading contained therein. Such transport vehicles have definite limitations in overall Width, due to laws that regulate the Width thereof for passage over highways and along railway tracks. It is desirable, nevertheless, to provide the maximum capacity or volume for the container, While yet adhering to the limitations imposed by such laws.

A container that is adapted for handling on transport equipment of the character set forth in the aforesaid Dempster patent, No. 2,437,806, requires lifting pins connected with opposite sides of the container, adapted for engagement by exible devices connected With the hoisting means on the transporting equipment, so as to raise the container to a transport position thereon and for holding the same in place. These lifting pins usually are manufactured as projections on the opposite sides of the container, which may extend out to a desired extent therefrom, usually several inches. It has been the practice heretofore to construct such lifting pins rigid with the opposite walls of the container, but this imposes limitations on the overall width, the size and capacity of the container.

One object of this invention is to provide a maximum overall Width of container having lifting pins at opposite sides thereof which `are capable of projection to positions for attachment to transporting equipment and yet do not afford undue limitations on the overall width of the container, allowing a maximum width thereof.

yAnother object of the invention is to improve the construction of lifting pins for a container by providing for retraction and extension thereof with respect to the opposite walls of the container.

VStill another object of the invention is to provide a slidable mounting for a lifting pin within a portion of the container for adjustment of the lifting pin withprespect thereto, to accommodate hoisting means that may be connected therewith.

These objects may be accomplished, according to one embodiment of the invention, by providing a container that may be of the cargo type or of other suitable construction and having lifting pins connected therewith at opposite sides thereof, capable of attachment to flexible devices on transporting equipment for elevating and supporting the container. Each lifting pin preferably is mounted for sliding movement with respect to the container structure to extended and retracted positions, whereby the pin may be Withdrawn substantially flush with the adjacent wall of the container during transportation, but when the pin is extended, it may be attached to a lifting device on the transporting equipment, for raising the container onto the supporting vehicle. This provision does not add appreciably to the cost o f the ice container, but is simple and inexpensive to apply thereto, and yet will make it possible to expand the container appreciably in its overall width within the limits imposed for containers travelling over highways or by rail. The lifting pin preferably is mounted in a sleeve secured rigidly to the structure of the container and having means for limiting the sliding movement of the pin in its retracted and extended positions.

'Ihis embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a cargo-type container showing the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a cross section through the front lifting pin assembly on the line 2-2 in FIG. 5;

PIG. 3 is a similar view, taken on the line 3 3 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view, showing a portion of the frame and the lifting pin assembly;

FIG. 5 is a partial bottom plan iew of the container, showing the lifting pins; and

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section through one of the lifting pins, taken substantially on the line 6 6 in FIG. 5.

The invention is shown as applied to a cargo-type container merely as an example of one form of container for which the extendible lifting pins are especially adapted. However, it is recognized that the extendible lifting pins can be applied to many other types of containers and, in fact, to substantially all types that are adapted for handling with transporting equipment of the character set forth in the aforesaid Dempster patent, No. 2,437,806.

The cargo-type container shown in FIG. 1 is designated generally by the numeral 1 and is provided with an enclosed body having opposite side Walls 2 and front and rear walls 3. 'Ihe rear wall is not shown, but would be similar to the front wall illustrated in FIG. 1, although it is usually provided with au enlarged door for access to the interior of the container. The front Wall is provided with a scui plate, shown at 4, suitably fastened as by welding, rivets, bolts or other fastenings to upright struts 5 on said front wall adjacent the opposite edges of the scuff plate 4. The lower edge of the scut plate 4 is turned under at 6 and is secured to the front cross member 7 of the container. A rear cross member is shown in FIG. 5 and designated 8.

The container is provided with a closed bottom, shown at 9 in FIGS. 2 to 5. This bottom 9 is supported by a plurality of cross members 10, spaced at intervals between the front and rear of the container, and preferably extending transversely from side to side thereof. Adjacent the front of the container, a pair of cross members 10 are provided with tie gussets 11 extending in bridging relation therebetween, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, as supporting means for one of the lifting pins. A similar construction preferably is employed at the opposite side of the container.

While one lifting pin may be used at each opposite side or end of the container, and for many containers will be sucient, where the container is of extremely large capacity area, two lifting pins may be provided at each opposite side or end thereof, as shown in FIG. 1, adjacent the front and rear edges thereof, as indicated generally at 12 and 12', respectively. With such a construction, the flexible devices on the transporting equipment may be connected with either or both such lifting pins at each opposite side or end of the container.

Each extendible lifting pin assembly comprises a sleeve, shown at 13, which extends transversely of the body of the container, with the outer end of the sleeve substantially ush 'with the side or end wall of the container, as shown in FIG. 6. Slidably mounted within the sleeve 13 is a lifting pin 14 of greater overall length than Athe sleeve, sufcient to be projected from the outer end of the sleeve to forman extended lifting pin for connection with a iiexible device on the transporting equipment of the character referred to above. The outer endof the pin 14 is vprovided with =a cross wing 15 thereon which, when the pin is retracted, serves as an abutment against the end of the sleeve 13. The inner end of the lifting pin 14 is provided with a retainer 16 which, like the wing 15, may be welded or otherwise secured thereon. The retainer 16 limits the outward projection of the Vlift'- ing pin by abutting against the end of .the sleeve 13, as shown in full lines in FIG. 6.

In the embodiment illustrated, having two lifting pins at each side or end of the container, one of these is shown as mounted in the tie gussets 11, While the other is mounted adjacent one of the cross members 10 and connected therewith. Thus, the front lifting pin assembly 12 is, for example, illustrated as mounted in the tie gussets '11, while the rear assembly 12 is mounted on one of the cross members 10 adjacent the rear of 'the container. The sleeve 13 may be Welded or otherwise secured to the respective frame structures, as desired, for holding the parts in place. The retainers 16 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as of segmental shape to clear the bottom 9 and any adjacent Vframe structure, it being sufcient that such retainers form abutments to limit the outward projection of the pins. l

The container may be loaded While sitting on the ground or other surface, after which the transporting equipment of the character described may be connected with the container for hauling it to the desired point or to a point of use, either directly on the transporting equipment or for loading onto a railway car. 'Ihe lifting pins will be in the extended positions shownin full lines in Fifi. 6, Where they project out from the'side or end walls of the container, as shown also in FIGS. 1 and 4, When the transporting equipment is to be connected therewith. However, after loading of the container onto the transporting equipment, as described in the aforesaid Dempster patent, No. 2,437,806, and setting the container down thereon, the flexible devices of the transporting equipment may be disconnected from the lifting pins -14 and the latter moved inward to their retracted positions, as illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 6. The wings 15 limit Vthe inward sliding movement of the lifting pins fand move inward substantially to Vthe adjacent side or end walls 2, so as to form no appreciable projections outside of the lateral contines of the side or end Walls Ywhereby the side or end walls may be moved outwardfin theconstruction of the container substantially to the overall Width permitted by State laws for movement over Vhighways or on railway lines, thus providing Ithe maximum capacity for the container as permitted thereby. At the same time, the lifting pins will be made readily available when needed for loading and unloading. It is a simple matter for the operator to slide the ylifting pins outward 'Within the sleeves 13 substantially to the extended positions sho-wn in'full lines in FIG, 6, and then to move them inward again after loading.

The construction as described provides a rigid and secure mounting for the lifting pins, effective for supporting the container and its contents during loading or -unloading. At the same tirne, it does not add appreciably to the cost of construction, but gives the maximum overall vvidth for the container.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in one embodiment, i't is recognized Ythat variations and changes may be made therein, without departing from the invention as set forth in the claim.

I claim:

A container of the type to 'be vlifted Vand transported by a mobile hoisting means comprising an Venclosing structure having opposite side Walls of sheet material and a bottom, a supporting frame structure connected with said bottom and including longitudinally spaced lcross beams interconnected by .pairs of transversely spaced tie members adjacent said side Walls, separate lifting pins mounted in said supporting structure at the lower end of said opposite side Walls, said mounting means compnising an elongated sleeve of slightly less length than said pins for each lifting pin slidably receiving the lifting pin therein for lengthwise movement relative thereto, said sleeve rigidly mounted between a pair of tie members with its outer end substantially flush with the adjacent side Wall, a Vwing of greater area than said sleeve on the outer end of the pin, and means for limiting the outward sliding movement of the lifting pin with respect to the 35 sleeve.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTS 153,740 Bell Aug. 4, 1874 582,239 Snypp May 11, 1897 1,112,517 Boisvert Oct. 6, 1917 1,349,209 Kirchner Aug. l0, 1920 1,403,568 Rodowicz Jan. 17, -1922 2,011,996 Belk Aug. `20, 1935 2,246,831 Bechik June 24, 1941 2,457,842 Smith Ian. 4, 1949 2,638,138 Proebstle May 12, 1953 Y2,684,174 Schmitz July 20, 1954 5 O FOREIGN PATENTS 101,742 Australia Aug. 2,1937 907,875 Germany July 8, 1949 

